Shelia Edwards running for Chair of Cobb County

Shelia Edwards, the Publisher of Spotlight South Cobb News, has officially entered the race for the position of Chair of Cobb County Government.

Edwards is well-known and respected for her advocacy on quality-of-life issues in Cobb County and her oversight of Cobb government through Spotlight, a free digital community news service. Using her platform, Edwards has worked for years to ensure the community knows what is going on and has frequently called them to action on various issues. The popularity of the community publication extends beyond South Cobb, with readership across the metro communities of Atlanta and the state. 

Edwards has been a resident of Cobb since 1992, first residing in Marietta where she raised and educated her children and served as the Booster Club President for the Marietta High School Basketball team, which her son played on. She later built a home in Mableton and became an advocate on issues impacting the quality of life for South Cobb. 

In 2022, Edwards secured the Democratic nomination for Georgia’s Public Service Commission (PSC) without a runoff, beating out two other candidates in the statewide race. Edwards had been crisscrossing the state campaigning for the PSC General Election when legal challenges on how members were selected – statewide or by district votes, led to the removal of the races from the ballot by the Secretary of State’s office. After nearly two years of limbo, the SOS issued a statement last week that PSC races were postponed indefinitely, as it continues to undergo scrutiny and a decision from a higher court.

When this news broke, Edwards began receiving numerous calls from citizens familiar with her advocacy for Cobb, urging her to run for the Chair position, along with pledges of financial support. This outreach and support, along with her experience and understanding of Cobb government, informed her decision to enter the race.

Edwards is well-known and respected for her advocacy and her vigilant oversight of Cobb government. Having experience with the Cobb County Commission, Edwards ran as a candidate for the District 4 Commission in 2020, emerging as the higher vote getter, but the race went into a runoff. Edwards lost in the runoff after the departing commissioner entered the race and endorsed her opponent. Despite this, Edwards remained committed to South Cobb and has been making a positive impact in her community.

As she defines her platform, Edwards will soon submit her full platform to the voters of Cobb. Her vision and goals include fiscal responsibility, accountability, transparency, and community engagement. A cornerstone of her campaign will include a pledge to eliminate or significantly reduce the county’s dependence on outside consultants as she redirects those funds back into the taxpayer’s pocketbook. She will also empower the highly skilled staff within Cobb County to perform their duties rather than relying on external sources that lack accountability to the people. Edwards also aims to issue a moratorium on building near Dobbins Air Force Base, and pledges to collaborate with the Cobb Chamber and business community to protect the economic engine of Cobb.

As Edwards focuses in on her campaign, the assistant publisher will play a vital role in maintaining stability of SPOTLIGHT and ensuring regular updates and communication are provided to keep the community informed.